From Youth to Competent Adults: The Long-Term Outcomes of 4-H
Participating in the 4-H Youth Development Program can be rewarding for youth in many ways. Often youth participate in programs or projects which help them cultivate new skills or gain confidence while having fun.
The ultimate goal of most youth development programs, such as 4-H, is to help youth grow into capable adults, while providing a valuable experience during childhood. Adult volunteers and 4-H professional staff dedicate years and emotionally invest in local youth to help them grow. So how do we know that our youth development programs are making a lasting impact? Is our hard work paying off in the long run, as youth grow into adults?
Many programs, including the 4-H Youth Development program, report short-term behavior or attitude changes their program has had on the participating youth members during the course of the program or during a single snapshot in their time in the program. These short-term behavior or attitude changes are a great way of knowing the change happening during or immediately after participating in a youth program. Determining the long-term impacts of a youth program can be more challenging though. We sometimes see immediate changes, but do those changes last into adulthood? One way to look at long-term impacts of youth programming is to ask alumni or program participants who have aged out of a program to reflect on their time in the program.
In a recent study, a team of 4-H academics surveyed 693 California 4-H young adult alumni to find out what past 4-Her's report as the benefits and outcomes of the 4-H program. The research team focused on young adults aged 19 to 34, knowing that the 4-H program has changed its structure and framework over the years. 4-H alumni were asked questions around three main areas: economic stability, health and well-being, and community involvement.
Lifelong Outcomes
The results of this study showed that California 4-H alumni had many positive long-term outcomes from involvement in the California 4-H Youth Development Program. When compared with a U.S. general population who had not participated in 4-H, the 4-H alumni demonstrated more positive long-term outcomes in each of the three areas. Not only did 4-H alumni report a strong sense of community, better physical and mental health, and feeling more financially stable – they also confirmed that 4-H helped them develop leadership, public speaking, and other real-world skills.
Ultimately, projects and programs in 4-H help youth develop skills and confidence in a way which has a lasting impact. Our time, effort, and valiant efforts with youth will most likely follow these youth into adulthood and beyond.
References:
Marshall-Wheeler, N., Nayak, R., Iaccopucci, A., & Worker, S. M. (2023). Long-term outcomes of early adult 4-H alumni. The Journal of Extension, 61(2), Article 2.